The "Road to WrestleMania" has been a bumpy one for WWE's top faction The Shield. What was once the most dominant force within the WWE, has now become a faction on the brink of disaster. However, despite the issues that we've seen recently played out on WWE programming, the members of The Shield remain confident and unified. According to a March 7 report by WrestlingInc.com, Roman Reigns made the following comments about the problems within The Shield:

Wikimedia Commons: Miguel Discart

We are all like brothers, so you're gonna bicker and you're gonna fight. We're the best this company has so of course we're gonna have egos. So when you're dealing with egos all the time, you're gonna have disagreements and maybe even a scuffle or two."

Troubles within The Shield came to a head on the March 3 episode of RAW. For the first time, the self-proclaimed "glue" of The Shield Seth Rollins walked out on Reigns and Ambrose during a 6-man tag match against The Wyatt Family. His absence ultimately caused The Shield to lose the match. Add in the loss at the Elimination Chamber PPV last month, and Dean Ambrose's wild insecurities, the rumblings of a breakup have warranted rightful concerns within the WWE Universe.

Although the last few months have been difficult for The Shield as a group, one member of the faction has seen his stock rise more than any other superstar in the WWE. Within a few short months, Roman Reigns has gone from being the Samoan powerhouse of the group, to being tabbed as the future of the WWE.

In fact, Reigns' stock is so high right now, that rumors of Roman ending The Undertaker's WrestleMania undefeated streak were burning up the Internet a few weeks ago and being wholeheartedly embraced by WWE fans. This possibility isn't too far-fetched as Reigns recently declared that his dream match would be against The Undertaker. Despite The Undertaker already set to take on Brock Lesnar at WM 30, many believe that WM 31 will be the Taker's last Mania appearance and the perfect opportunity for Reigns to end the streak.

The turning point for Reigns ascension to superstardom came at the Survivor Series last November. Roman was the sole survivor in a 5-on-5 Survivor Series elimination match. He would then follow up his Survivor Series success with an incredible performance at the Royal Rumble in January. Reigns broke the 13 year old record for Rumble eliminations, previously held by Kane. He eliminated 12 other superstars on his way to a runner-up finish in the battle royal.

In addition to his recent single's success, Reigns also held the tag-team titles with Seth Rollins from May 2013 until October 2013. What's impressive about this title reign is that he followed in the footsteps of his father and brother who previously held the tag titles. Reigns is a proud member of the greatest wrestling family of all-time the Anoai family, more commonly referred to as the Samoan Dynasty.

Reigns' father is the legendary WWE Hall of Famer and former tag-team champion Sika from the Wild Samoans. Sika would team up with his brother Afa to dominate tag-team wrestling during their era and win the WWE (WWF) tag belts on 3 different occasions. Reigns' brother Matt, who wrestled as Rosey in the WWE, held the tag team titles with Hurricane Helms for 4 months in 2005.

Reigns' athletic abilities and wrestling skills have seemingly evolved on-air over the last 6 months. From his destructive spear and Samoan superman punch to his jumping kick on the ring apron and powerbomb, Reigns has shown that he has all the makings of a future world heavyweight champion. Additionally, his impressive physique and movie star looks, has many fans and critics believing that Reigns could easily become the face of the company. It's this columnist's opinion that Reigns will be holding the WWE world heavyweight championship belt in 2015.

If you are a fan of Reigns, then check out the video posted at the top of this article. The song is titled "Roman Reigns - Heart Of A Warrior" and it's performed by Monteasy. For more information on this song, and talented artist, check out Mooretolifeent.com.

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Rick is an athlete-turned-personal trainer who lives a healthy lifestyle, stays in great shape, and passionately follows sports. He has co-hosted both online and terrestrial radio shows, written successful columns, and is an accomplished freelance writer. Rick has wrestled since 2001, primarily on the West Coast, and has spent time studying various martial arts. Contact Rick.